Who Is Responsible For Moral Degradation in Muslim Society of West Bengal

Drugs, Liquor, Gambling And Violence Are Rampant In Muslim Localities of West Bengal

Main Points:

1.    DJs, vulgar dance of eunuchs in wedding ceremonies are common.

2.    Muslim youth are directionless.

3.    Violence erupts at the drop of a hat.

4.    Drugs, liquor and Ganja are easily available in Muslim localities.

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By New Age Islam Staff Writer

26 May 2022

On Sunday, two Muslim families of a village in district Bardhaman in West Bengal threw brickbats at each other and fought on the use of high decibel music on loudspeaker on the occasion of the wedding ceremony of Rajaul Mullick's daughter. Her wedding was scheduled on Tuesday and so film songs were being played on the loudspeaker placed on the terrace of Rajaul's house. On Sunday, when the custom of Haldi was being observed, Rajaul removed the mike from the terrace and fixed it facing towards the house of Akhtar Mullick. Both Rajaul Mullick and Akhtar Mullick are brothers but due to differences and acrimony, Akhtar's family did not join the wedding. But this was not limited to non-participation in the wedding ceremony. Rajaul's family tried to harass Akhtar's family by placing the loudspeaker in front of Akhtar's house and played film songs in full volume. This caused trouble to Akhtar's octogenarian mother.

Therefore, Akhtar requested them through a neighbour to lower the volume of the loudspeaker. This enraged Rajaul's family and his guests and they threw stones at Akhtar's family injuring Akhtar's mother and his wife Salima. When Salima went to Rajaul's house to protest, Rajaul's relatives and guests allegedly misbehaved with her and tried to disrobe her. In the fight that ensued, members of both the families were injured and the matter went to the police. The main cause of the fight was the use of loudspeaker.

This incident is not an aberration. DJs and vulgar dance often by eunuchs to the tunes of film songs are the main features of marriage ceremonies in the Muslim society of West Bengal. Most of the young men in the marriage party are under the influence of drugs, or Ganja and liquor. Music and film songs on the DJ cause inconvenience and nuisance to the elderly, the children and the sick but they do not show any care for them. Women and girls watch the vulgar dance of eunuchs. But nobody objects to this for the fear of confrontation.

In December last, the imam of a town in the suburbs of Kolkata named Kamarhatti, Maulana Saifullah Aleemi raised the issue during his Friday sermon. He criticised the use of DJs and high volume music and vulgar dance of eunuchs during marriage ceremony. He appealed to the Muslims of the neighbourhood to stand up against this unhealthy and un-Islamic practice. Acting on his appeal, the owners of the local Marriage Hall put up notice prohibiting DJs, dance and film songs within the premises of the marriage hall and warning the guardians of the bride and groom that if any un-Islamic act was committed, the Qazi will not administer the Nikah.

This warning had its effect but the imam's call did not get wide support from the Muslims as other local organisations and religious groups did not join the movement.

Such unhealthy, un-Islamic and vulgar practices have sunk so deep in the Muslim society that a call from a single imam or the effort of a day will not stem the rot. To reform the society, a long term collective effort needs to be made.

The use of DJs is the main problem. If the use of DJ and loudspeakers is stopped in wedding ceremonies, half the problem is solved. But the problem is that the use of loudspeakers has become an essential part of every social and religious event of Muslims and no event is considered complete without it.

Although all the religious groups use the loudspeakers, the use of loudspeakers in the Muslim society is wider as religious events are held more frequently in the Muslim society.

Apart from the frequent use of loudspeakers, the use of drugs, liquor, gambling and petty crimes are rampant in the Muslim neighbourhoods though all these have been declared haram in Islam. The reason for this is that our religious heads have not fulfilled their responsibilities towards the society and have not imparted the religious knowledge to the Muslim youth. They have exhausted all their energies in promoting sectarian beliefs and sectarian hatred. They have ignored the real cause of social and moral reform. In their speeches during religious gatherings and Friday sermons the preachers rake up controversial issues to promote their sectarian agenda. They use the pulpit not to spread the teachings of the Quran and hadiths but to spread sectarian hatred. Due to this unhealthy approach, the fundamental issues facing the community remain unattended.

Another serious issue facing Muslims is gambling, crimes, and violence in the Muslim neighbourhoods. Due to illiteracy or low literacy rate, unemployment is high among Muslims. Poverty drives them towards crimes and due to the lack of religious knowledge, they are driven towards un-Islamic practices like drug addiction, gambling, adultery etc. They become violent and resort to violence at the slightest of differences or provocation.

However, only religious heads or imams and preachers are not responsible for the sorry state of affairs of Muslims. Political leaders, professionals and social activists have also not fulfilled their duties. Civic representatives do not take any steps to root out drug addiction, gambling and petty crimes from their area. They think that their job is only to oversee the cleanliness of the streets or to arbitrate in family squabbles. They think that gambling, drugs and liquor are law and order problems. Bur in fact, these are related to the social welfare of the community and to the future of the youth. The civic representatives can't ignore these issues.

Therefore, to reform the Muslim society, all the sections of the Muslim polity should act collectively. Literacy rate should be increased among Muslims. The Muslim youth should be imparted religious teachings about the prohibition of liquor, drugs, adultery and gambling. They should be taught how to treat the neighbours and relatives. In short, a long term campaign for social reform needs to be launched to create a healthy Muslim society.

URL:    https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/moral-muslim-society-west-bengal/d/127094

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